Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
May 02, 2022
For most Muslims, Eid Al Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end the month of Ramadan, begins today. Its purpose is universal, but the many ways in which it is celebrated reflect the diversity of Islam, the world's second largest religion. Some of the traditions are ancient. In Egypt, patisseries are piling up heaps of kahk, a filled biscuit and staple of the country's Eid celebrations. The recipe is said to date back to the Ancient Egyptians. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's second most populous city, residents are finding it easier to hold family fishing trips, an old tradition previously limited by Covid-19 measures in the ancient port.
Other developments are more unique to modern times. For the first time, Edgbaston cricket stadium in the British city of Birmingham will today hold celebrations with 2,000 people in attendance. And on Sunday, Dubai announced that it will be issuing long-term visas and financial rewards to imams, preachers and muezzins who have served in the emirate for more than two decades.
A holiday atmosphere might be descending on much of the Islamic world, but Eid is more than a time to relax. One of the most important religious dates on the calendar, it is also a time for reflection, particularly on the troubles of less fortunate people. For Afghanistan, Eid came a day earlier than in neighbouring states, but after a disastrous year there is little to celebrate. In the past few months, girls have been denied an education and scores of civilians have been killed in bombings, many in mosques and often with a partisan or racist intent, the most recent being a deadly attack on a school attended by members of the country's Hazara minority.
Afghans on their way to celebrations in Kandahar. AFP
Palestinians are another oppressed group under fire this Ramadan. Violent tensions are running dangerously high in Israel, raising the worrying prospect of more bloodshed between Palestinians and Israelis as intense as last Ramadan's. Violence from both sides should be condemned, but so should a longstanding yearly cycle of provocation by Israeli forces, particularly at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, during the holiest time of the Islamic year.
For the poorest Muslims there is also increasingly little to celebrate with. Rising food prices mean meals, a central part of both Ramadan and Eid, are a significant financial strain. Egyptian mother of five Azza, who has been making kahk since she was a child, told The National that rising prices, particularly for sugar and flour, are making the tradition more costly than ever. For many Afghans, Saturday's attack on two power transmission towers means that the act of cooking itself will be a great deal harder, as well as lighting homes for evening celebrations. Some service has been resumed, but a full repair will take two weeks. It is a sign of the vulnerability and uncertainty people will face in the months, probably years ahead.
In the face of all these challenges, there is one concrete place to look for hope. While far from over, much of the world has emerged from the worst of Covid-19. For Muslims this means that, at least in terms of being with family, friends and community, Eid 2022 is one of notable progress. But for an unlucky number of faithful, sacrifice, which is at the heart of Ramadan, did not end today.
Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
Innotech Profile
Date started:Â 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size:Â 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financingÂ
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.Â
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.Â
Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.Â
Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.Â
Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.Â
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.Â
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Our legal columnist
Name:Â Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education:Â Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
